


Cookies Make The World Go Round

by nattycookies09



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Abuse, Angst, Child Abuse, Closure, Depression, Domestic Violence, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotions, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Heartbreak, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Love, M/M, Minor Injuries, Physical Abuse, Romance, Self-Harm, Slice of Life, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-07
Updated: 2018-03-07
Packaged: 2019-03-28 06:04:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13897857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nattycookies09/pseuds/nattycookies09
Summary: An archive of two teenage boys, Lee Jeno and Na Jaemin, with regards to their stories in different places, times and occurrences. However, no matter what happens, there was always a common denominator and that was a soft baked cookie. To them, it did not matter what flavour it was, but for some reason, it never failed to turn things for the better.





	Cookies Make The World Go Round

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! I am finally back after quite a hiatus, especially when I have been busy with work. :( Nevertheless, I have come back with a new series regarding my all-time favourite band, NCT. :) Yes, I have actually stanned them for quite a while now, even before they officially debuted with 7th Sense, and it has also been long since I have written any scenarios. Well, I guess it all started simply because of a whole bunch of Jeno x Jaemin (or better known as Nomin) on my Tumblr dashboard, as well as a comic on my Facebook page, that inspired this series. :) 
> 
> Hence, this series would be a compilation of one shots and don't worry, the other members will be introduced at a later time. :) There will be no fixed end date for this and neither will there be regular updates because it all depends on how much inspiration I can get so keep watching this space for all the latest happenings! ^^ Also, if you guys have any ideas, feel free to leave them in the comment box below! :) For now, sit back, relax and happy reading!

Lee Jeno had everything. 

There was no exaggeration to that statement, really, and it was the truth. He was born with a silver (or like what some would prefer to say, gold) spoon in his mouth and got everything and anything he wanted. If he desired so much as to get the latest action figures, he would get it custom made just so that it could only be the one and only. If he wanted a telescope to fulfill his sudden interest in astronomy, he would get two different kinds for his birthday at the same time. 

His mother was a neurologist and his father was the head CEO of one of the biggest conglomerates in Asia. With that information, it was no wonder why everything came easy. He was trained from a young age to think like a businessman and behave like one, which made him grow into a mature young boy at a rapid pace. His father was strict with him, picking him for the smallest things like how he spoke as well as the way he looked at people. 

He grew ambitious and competitive, making sure that he stayed at the top of his game in school. However, Jeno was smart, and knew better than to simply bury his head in his books. He participated in the school’s co-curricular activities with the same level of enthusiasm and was eventually noticed by the teachers for his seemingly innate athletic ability. Eventually, he grew to become a decorated taekwondo representative of the school, and could well be sent to the Olympic Games if he had the chance. Then again, that was not going to be possible for him, especially when his life had already been mapped out from the very moment he was welcomed into the world. 

Jeno was a focused young boy and was seemingly oblivious to the world around him as he chased down his own success. The world had gone a little too suffocating for him at this point, so he worked hard in hopes of gaining his own choices. He worked tirelessly, burning the midnight oil if he could, for both his academics and sporting activities, but it did come at a cost. 

All the nights he had spent “living” in his room had caused him to compromise on his ability to socialise with others and notice what was going on around him, especially the people who lived under the same roof; his parents. 

Only the Almighty would know when it all begun, but the tension in the household seemed to grow heavier and heavier by the day. Jeno might have been labelled as “oblivious”, but he definitely felt that something was not quite right. He had asked his family butler about it, but the latter only shook his head and sent Jeno to his room, explaining that Jeno’s parents would not want him to get involved. 

And it was probably just a pure coincidence when Jeno came home one night from his usual taekwondo practice. All he wanted to do was to have a lukewarm shower before he tucked in for the night, but he definitely needed some water to drink before he felt as if he could collapse on the floor and sleep till the next morning. That was all he wanted to do — get a glass of water, but that was also what caused him to know the real reason behind the constant fights and arguments that he had heard through the walls of the house. 

It was simply a booklet left there on the countertop, as if it was waiting for someone to notice it and Jeno just had to be the one. He could not believe his eyes when he read it as his eyes widened, feeling as if his whole world had crumbled. Jeno was never one to be emotional, but this time, tears were already welling up in his eyes. 

“Jeno…” His mother called from the entrance, only to realise what Jeno had seen. 

“M-mum…” He stuttered, unable to form coherent words in a state of shock and choked up emotions, “Is this what I think it is? It can’t be true right?” 

His mother only looked at him with a sad gaze as she leaned on the doorpost. Her eyebags had gotten worse and she looked worn out, as if she was ready to give up if she had to. Indeed, a tense silence filled the air as the two tried to regain their composure in different ways. 

“I’m sorry Jeno. I had to do what I needed to do. I’ll explain it to you….” 

Jeno did not let his mother finish, before making a dash out of the kitchen to his room and slamming the door behind him. Of course, he made sure he locked it, before throwing his bag on the ground and slumping against the door. Time seemed to come to a halt and every second seemed like pure agony to Jeno’s thoughts and emotions. 

The perfect boy who had everything, from money to looks to fame and eventual power, broke as he sobbed into his hands. No thoughts ran through his head right now and there were only feelings of despair, anger and confusion. He did not know who these feelings were directed to though; was it his parents for making such a rash decision without considering his input, was it himself for not noticing the change and stepping in or was it just… everything? 

For days, he continued to fight his own inner demons, but it was clear that his stellar performance had slipped. His grades began to fall drastically and so did his taekwondo moves. He felt as if the life had been drained out of him and the passion for whatever he felt towards finding success had disappeared overnight. His teachers were concerned, asking to speak to his parents, but just the mere thought of it set off the wrong button in Jeno as hatred spread through his entire being. His coach was not too understanding either, scolding him for his sudden change in attitude and for nearly killing his opponent in a friendly match. 

His coach had pulled him out eventually, telling him sternly that if he wanted to come back to the practice, he would have to collect his emotions, no matter how long it would take, so there Jeno was, sitting by the corner of the sporting hall glaring into empty space. 

He was not aware of how much time had passed, especially since he was way too caught up in his emotions, until he felt a presence right next to him with a bright green water bottle and a cookie in hand. 

That was his other teammate, Na Jaemin. He was a tall, lanky boy with a bright smile that could brighten up anybody’s day. It was impossible to hear of him really, but for various reasons. There were days when Jeno had managed to catch some form of rumour in the corridor from the girls and the boys alike. 

“Did you see what happened to Jaemin?” 

“No. What did you notice?” 

“He’s been wearing his school blazer a lot lately and it’s literally in the middle of summer. How is he not perspiring in this heat? I swear, I would have passed out of heatstroke if I wore those.” 

“He’s been limping too. I asked him whether he needed any assistance and he only shrugged it off with his smile, but there was something that did not sit too well with me.” 

“Same. Two weeks ago, I was wondering why there was a patch near his eye that seemed to be of a totally different shade as compared to his skin tone, until I realised that it was probably the wrong shade of concealer to cover a bruise on his left eye.” 

That was one conversation Jeno happened to be paying close attention to. On other days, it was simply how much the girls adored him as they gushed about his facial features and his bright boxy smile, while the boys looked at him with admiration and a tinge of envy in their eyes. 

Today, Jaemin looked perfectly normal. He seemed to be doing fine at practice and his face was clear of any markings or bruises like what he had heard from that conversation in the corridor before. However, when Jeno looked harder, he could see white linear scars on Jaemin’s wrist when his sleeve went up a little. It was a pity really, especially when Jaemin was one of the sweetest people he had heard of, and yet, this was what the personified sunshine of a boy was going through. 

He did not know when or why it happened, but he knew that Jaemin was no better than he was. Now, they were probably just two broken teenagers sitting at the corner of the arena, if anyone could read their thoughts at all. 

“Why did you join taekwondo?” Jaemin asked with his eyes closed, breaking the silence with his calm and soothing voice. 

Jeno was silent for a moment, realising that Jaemin was one straightforward boy. They had been in the same team for 3 years now, but never spoke more than 10 words to each other. At first, Jeno was about to snap at the other for overstepping his boundaries, but he knew better than to break an already broken boy with his harsh words that flooded his mind at the moment. 

“I don’t know… I just thought it was cool and I was scouted in a sense. So why not? How about you?” 

_Yes Jeno, play fire with fire. How smart, am I right?_

“Self defence.” Jaemin replied without thinking twice, and his eyes were open now as he adjusted his posture to sit straight. 

“You don’t look so good lately.” Jaemin stated quickly, catching Jeno off his feet again, “So… how about a cookie to brighten your day?” 

Jeno did not mean to be a jerk, but he found himself scoffing at the thought before stating a whole bombard of unnecessary statements with clear bitterness in his tone. 

“Do you think your bloody cookie would solve anything? I might have gotten the nicest cars, the biggest castle of a house and branded clothing, but were they able to solve anything? No! My mother and father are filing their divorce as they speak, fighting for the last time about who would be the one who has more right taking me under their wing and you give me a cookie at this point? Are you kidding me?” 

He had spoken as if he was chasing after the next bullet train, but stopped himself when he realised how Jaemin’s smile looked as if it had been wiped off his own face. Jaemin might have been taller than him, but now, it was as if Jaemin had become smaller and more vulnerable. 

Jeno regretted his actions almost immediately, knowing that he was already walking on eggshells when speaking to a boy like Jaemin, especially with all the rumours that he had heard. Surely, at some point, they had to be right now. 

Awkward silence fell over the two of them and once again, it was back to the environment that Jeno was all too familiar with — tension so thick that you could probably break it with a wave of a blunt knife. 

“I’m sorry.” Jaemin said once again and Jeno turned to look at him with apology written all over his face, wondering why it was not him who was the one apologising. 

“I should have been more sensitive towards you and your feelings anyway. I mean, it was obvious that you were definitely not in a good place emotionally, especially when you had dropped out of the list of top students for the common tests and just got kicked out of the team for a time being. Obviously, I should have been more careful.” 

“But it’s not your fault. Why are you apologising?” Jeno asked, only to realise that the tone was still present. 

“Sorry… Oh, I said it again. It’s become a habit at this point, especially when one has been told that one is never good enough and will never ever be. What do you do? Apologise. There’s no other way around it.” 

Silence fell upon the two again, as if they were having a conversation with themselves on how they should carry out their next move. They had barely met and here they were on their way of starting an unnecessary bickering session with each other. Jaemin was hurting, Jeno was hurting, but still, that did not mean they had any right to lash out at one another. They knew that, and yet, that was what they had just done. 

“I joined Taekwondo because of self defence, yes, but that was after I witnessed the murder of my sister with a knife and a broken beer bottle. She died trying to protect me, so here I am now. She would have wanted me to stand on my own two feet so here I am, getting over my fear of close contact, just so that I could stand up again when I have to get out there. I did not want to die like that either so… here I am, just like how she would have wanted it.” 

Those words sure struck a chord within Jeno as he sighed, figuring that it was only best to apologise at this point. Despite the boy’s bright smile, Jaemin was in a bad place too, so the only thing that he felt was right and just was if he apologised. 

“I’m sorry.” He muttered quietly and Jaemin shook his head, but smiled anyway. 

“You know you mentioned how you had everything?” Jaemin asked again, calmer now, and Jeno nodded, embarrassed and guilty of his emotional outburst against such a pure and innocent boy, “I bet you still don’t have a cookie… right?” 

Jaemin sure spoke in riddles, Jeno thought, but shook his head anyway, only to realise that Jaemin had already broke his soft baked double chocolate chip cookie into half and handing one of it to him. 

The gesture might have been small and seemingly trivial, but Jeno sure felt a surge of warmth tingling through the icy cold being that he had become ever since the divorce, and with that, they ate their share of the cookie in comfortable silence now. 

“You know,” Jaemin interrupted again, but Jeno listened this time around, loud and clear, “Life’s like a cookie really. It does take effort to make and sometimes, not all cookies turn out right, but that does not mean you stop trying. Similarly, we’ll get through this together, because like the cookie, once it has been done right and sorted out, it bursts with sweetness and flavour.” 

Jeno nodded, trying to wrap his head around Jaemin’s philosophy, before he felt as if his hand had been interlaced with a stranger’s hand (but it was also fitting like a jigsaw puzzle), only to realise it was Jaemin. 

“Let’s help each other out, shall we? And once again, my name’s Na Jaemin. What’s yours?”


End file.
